Like a few would-be candidates, Alec Baldwin has been doing his fair share of flirting with running for some unspecified political position lately. But perhaps we've read the actor's post-30 Rock inclinations all wrong. Maybe he's less fit for office and more fit to fill in for MSNBC's recently departed Keith Olbermann. That's apparently the chatter being bandied about in MSNBC offices: he's got a "huge fan base" and is "very respected," so why not give him a shot to bolster the Lean Forward network's ratings?

At PopEater, Rob Shuter floats this notion and confirms with an unnamed source that Baldwin is "very high, perhaps even No. 1, on the wish lists of MSNBC bigwigs" for a potential show. "He's brilliant on camera and honestly cares about news and fighting for the rights of everyday people," Shuter's source told him. "Don't count him out. There was a time when everyone said Alec would never do a sitcom, only movies. Those same people are saying he would never run for office or host a political show."

Update: "Entertaining, but untrue," said MSNBC spokesperson Jeremy Gaines to The Cutline, regarding the rumor.

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Erik Hayden